"I actually wanted #69": Max Verstappen reveals his original driver number choice that father Jos Verstappen declined

Max Verstappen had a choice for his favorite racing number for next season, which he could not claim due to his father's objection. Speaking about this ahead of the Las Vegas GP, the Red Bull star stated that #69 was the number he would have taken in 2026.

Verstappen, the holder of #1 currently, will have to change the number if he loses the championship to either Lando Norris or Oscar Piastri. With #1 no longer his go-to number, the Dutchman wanted to switch to #69, but his father, Jos Verstappen, who is known for having strict principles, came on his way.

Speaking about his favorite number ahead of the Las Vegas Strip race, here's what he said:

"I actually wanted #69," but my dad said that's not a good idea."

The Dutchman raced with #33 number till 2021, following which he switched to #1. However, it will be interesting to see what would be his go to number next season, as #1 and #69 seems out of the equation.

Verstappen wanted to claim #3 but it was taken by his former teammate Daniel Ricciardo at the time. With Ricciardo out of the sport, Verstappen might claim #3 or go back to his old #33.

Racing number plays a big part in races as it not only helps identify a driver, but also carries a legacy with it. For instance, the #3 by Dale Earnhardt is one of the most respected numbers in racing. In F1, Lewis Hamilton's 44 is associated with Mission 44, an organization known for their societal works.

Max Verstappen is currently in contention for his fifth F1 title. After 21 races and five sprints, he has 341 points to his name. He trails Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri of McLaren by 49, and 25 points, respectively.

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Max Verstappen pleased to reduce Championship gap to McLaren drivers

Max Verstappen is pleased to have reduced the gap to the Championship with Lando Norris and Oscar Piastri. From a nearly 100-point deficit, the points gap is now below 50 points. Speaking about this improvement, here's what Verstappen told the media including Sportskeeda ahead of the Las Vegas GP:

Max Verstappen at the F1 Las Vegas Grand Prix - Source: Getty

"It’s been good, for sure. I think every season you want to try and be better, which is not always easy but you try to be more consistent. Otherwise we tried to really optimise everything we can with the car, and I think most of the time we really did that, so I’m pleased with that." "It’s not where I wanted it to be for most of the season, otherwise you’re fighting all season for the title, which we haven’t really. I enjoyed the highs and the wins that we did score, but at the same time, of course, the lows were also not fantastic," Verstappen added.

With the Las Vegas GP, F1 is set to have three race weekends and a sprint, involving a total of 83 points. As things stand, Max Verstappen is unlikely to pick up his fifth straight Championship until both Norris and Piastri take each other out, and he ends up winning all the races.

Edited by Sabyasachi Biswas